In the following Narrative of "Old Elizabeth," which
was taken mainly from her own lips in her 97th year, her
simple language has been adhered to as strictly as was
consistent with perspicuity and propriety.


I was born in Maryland in the year 1766. My parents were slaves. Both
my father and mother were religious people, and belonged to the
Methodist Society. It was my father's practice to read in the Bible
aloud to his children every sabbath morning. At these seasons, when I
was but five years old, I often felt the overshadowing of the Lord's
Spirit, without at all understanding what it meant; and these incomes
and influences continued to attend me until I was eleven years old,
particularly when I was alone, by which I was preserved from doing
anything that I thought was wrong.

In the eleventh year of my age, my master sent me to another farm,
several miles from my parents, brothers, and sisters, which was a
great trouble to me. At last I grew so lonely and sad I thought I
should die, if I did not see my mother. I asked the overseer if I
might go, but being positively denied, I concluded to go without his
knowledge. When I reached home my mother was away. I set off and
walked twenty miles before I found her. I staid with her for several
days, and we returned together. Next day I was sent back to my new
place, which renewed my sorrow. At parting, my mother told me that I
had "nobody in the wide world to look to but God." These words fell
upon my heart with ponderous weight, and seemed to add to my grief. I
went back repeating as I went, "none but God in the wide world." On
reaching the farm, I found the overseer was displeased at me for going